A hybrid GA–PS–SQP method to solve power system valve-point economic dispatch problems

This study presents a new approach based on a hybrid algorithm consisting of Genetic Algorithm (GA), Pattern Search (PS) and Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) techniques to solve the well-known power system Economic dispatch problem (ED). GA is the main optimizer of the algorithm, whereas PS and SQP are used to fine tune the results of GA to increase confidence in the solution. For illustrative purposes, the algorithm has been applied to various test systems to assess its effectiveness. Furthermore, convergence characteristics and robustness of the proposed method have been explored through comparison with results reported in literature. The outcome is very encouraging and suggests that the hybrid GA–PS–SQP algorithm is very efficient in solving power system economic dispatch problem

Fuzzy Controlled Parallel PSO to Solving Large Practical Economic Dispatch

International audienceThis paper proposes a version of fuzzy controlled parallel particle swarm optimization approach based decomposed network (FCP-PSO) to solve large nonconvex economic dispatch problems. The proposed approach combines practical experience extracted from global database formulated in fuzzy rules to adjust dynamically the three parameters associated to PSO mechanism search. The adaptive PSO executed in parallel based in decomposed network procedure as a local search to explore the search space very effectively. The robustness of the proposed modified PSO tested on 40 generating units with prohibited zones and compared with recent hybrid global optimization methods. The results show that the proposed approach can converge to the near solution and obtain a competitive solution with a reasonable time compared with recent previous approaches

Particle swarm optimisation with applications in power system generation

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University, 12/06/2007.Today the modern power system is more dynamic and its operation is a subject to a number of constraints that are reflected in various management and planning tools used by system operators. In the case of hourly generation planning, Economic Dispatch (ED) allocates the outputs of all committed generating units, which are previously identified by the solution of the Unit Commitment (UC) problem. Thus, the accurate solutions of the ED and UC problems are essential in order to operate the power system in an economic and efficient manner. A number of computation techniques have progressively been proposed to solve these critical issues. One of them is a Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO), which belongs to the evolutionary computation techniques, and it has attracted a great attention of the research community since it has been found to be extremely effective in solving a wide range of engineering problems. The attractive characteristics of PSO include: ease of implementation, fast convergence compared with the traditional evolutionary computation techniques and stable convergence characteristic. Although the PSO algorithms can converge very quickly towards the optimal solutions for many optimisation problems, it has been observed that in problems with a large number of suboptimal areas (i.e. multi-modal problems), PSO could get trapped in those local minima, including ED and UC problems. Aiming at enhancing the diversity of the traditional PSO algorithms, this thesis proposes a method of combining the PSO algorithms with a real-valued natural mutation (RVM) operator to enhance the global search capability and investigate the performance of the proposed algorithm compared with the standard PSO algorithms and other algorithms. Prior to applying to ED and UC problems, the proposed method is tested with some selected mathematical functions where the results show that it can avoid being trapped in local minima. The proposed methodology is then applied to ED and UC problems, and the obtained results show that it can provide solutions with good accuracy and stable convergence characteristic with simple implementation and satisfactory calculation time. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis of PSO parameters has been studied so as to investigate the response of the proposed method to the parameter variations, especially in both ED and UC problems. The outcome of this research shows that the proposed method succeeds in dealing with the PSO' s drawbacks and also shows the superiority over the traditional PSO algorithms and other methods in terms of high quality solutions, stable convergence characteristic, and robustness.Royal Thai Government; King Mongkut's Institute of Technology North Bangko

Meta-heuristic algorithms in car engine design: a literature survey

Meta-heuristic algorithms are often inspired by natural phenomena, including the evolution of species in Darwinian natural selection theory, ant behaviors in biology, flock behaviors of some birds, and annealing in metallurgy. Due to their great potential in solving difficult optimization problems, meta-heuristic algorithms have found their way into automobile engine design. There are different optimization problems arising in different areas of car engine management including calibration, control system, fault diagnosis, and modeling. In this paper we review the state-of-the-art applications of different meta-heuristic algorithms in engine management systems. The review covers a wide range of research, including the application of meta-heuristic algorithms in engine calibration, optimizing engine control systems, engine fault diagnosis, and optimizing different parts of engines and modeling. The meta-heuristic algorithms reviewed in this paper include evolutionary algorithms, evolution strategy, evolutionary programming, genetic programming, differential evolution, estimation of distribution algorithm, ant colony optimization, particle swarm optimization, memetic algorithms, and artificial immune system

Antlion optimization algorithm for optimal non-smooth economic load dispatch

This paper presents applications of Antlion optimization algorithm (ALO) for handling optimal economic load dispatch (OELD) problems. Electricity generation cost minimization by controlling power output of all available generating units is a major goal of the problem. ALO is a metaheuristic algorithm based on the hunting process of Antlions. The effect of ALO is investigated by solving a 10-unit system. Each studied case has different objective function and complex level of restraints. Three test cases are employed and arranged according to the complex level in which the first one only considers multi fuel sources while the second case is more complicated by taking valve point loading effects into account. And, the third case is the highest challenge to ALO since the valve effects together with ramp rate limits, prohibited operating zones and spinning reserve constraints are taken into consideration. The comparisons of the result obtained by ALO and other ones indicate the ALO algorithm is more potential than most methods on the solution, the stabilization, and the convergence velocity. Therefore, the ALO method is an effective and promising tool for systems with multi fuel sources and considering complicated constraints